Return
by Kuroi Kokoro 09
Summary: All halt in the battle of the Uchiha Brothers. Without the main purpose of life he's believed in for years, Sasuke decides to return to Konoha with Itachi. Although they planned to enter grandly, it turns out to be a comical day to everyone.
1. Determination of Returning

**I can't say I really like Itachi, but somehow I feel sorry for him as he's so many burden on his shoulders. Besides, I want to help Naruto and Sakura to have Sasuke back, so I decided to "rewrite" their fate from the clash between the brothers (That's the easiest part to start).**

**I tried to many some funny scenes, but somehow...yep, they never went too smoothly good and even cracked... = =**

**Hope you'll all enjoy the story!**

**Drops of Chastity**

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* * *

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Determination of Returning

"Finally…" A cloaked figure stood in front of the stone chair on the stone stage, where another sat comfortably in a chair. "I've come here to kill you, Uchiha Itachi."

"Is it so?" The one in the chair closed his eyes and was silent for a few seconds, then he opened them and said quietly, "Tell me, Sasuke, what have your eyes seen?"

Sasuke closed his eyes and when he opened them again, a pair of crimson eyes, the pupils surrounded by three tomoes replaced his original obsidians, "Your death."

"Ah, I see…" Itachi muttered to himself, looking as if he's digesting the answer, disappeared and reappeared just on Sasuke's right. "I wonder if you've a clear sight."

Then, the clash between the Uchiha brothers began in clear clanks and sparks.

* * *

"Why…?" Sasuke panted heavily as he lifted his head up painfully to face Itachi, ever so calm and almost unharmed. "Why didn't…you always have the chances to…"

"Kill you?" Itachi ended for him as he make up to the crouching younger Uchiha. He smirked softly and said wryly, "No wonder you're always my foolish little brother."

"Fuck…" It's all Sasuke could pronounce out after receiving some hard punches.

"Didn't you ever desire to surpass me?" Itachi stopped just right in front of him.

"Huh…?" Sasuke peeped at his brother his covering strands of cougar blue hair.

****Fragments of Memories****

_Whoosh! __Tint! Thud!_ All those targets were hit on the bull's eye by the kunais.

A twelve-year-old Itachi did a back-flip and landed on the ground on his legs. Behind the tree trunk, up ran the seven-year-old Sasuke, clapping hands appallingly.

"Great job, nii-san!" The little boy cheered as the older ruffled his head lovingly. His eyes sparkled with pride like a student to a teacher whom he respected the most.

"I'm not losing to you, nii-san! See!" He yelled as he jumped up into the mid air.

"No, Sasuke, you—" Before Itachi could finish; Sasuke fell and twisted his ankle. Though a bit annoyed by that, Itachi carried him back home. Sasuke nuzzled his back.

"Nii-san, can you promise me that you'll train with me just as today next time?"

"Yeah, I promise; as long as we are free and together." Itachi smiled so warmly.

****Fragments of Memories****

_Tint! Thud!_ All except the first kunai, the others were just depleted and missed.

Sasuke panted on the ground, quite disappointed from the unsatisfactory result. He then recalled what Itachi had said to him yesterday in the evening at the garden…

"_I will always be with you in your heart as a__ wall that you must try to climb over, even if you hate me."_ He said those with such a smile that seemed to show his pride.

'Don't ya worry nii-san; I'll be.' Sasuke promised to himself with determination.

****Fragments of Memories****

"Bro, can you train me after I'm back from Academy and you from mission?" Sasuke hugged Itachi, eyes with begging and playfulness. Itachi only smiled bitterly.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke. I'm busy today and there will be another mission tomorrow. Why don't you ask father?" Itachi ruffled his hair and made his way to the main door. Sasuke stood at the staircase, pouting as he watched his brother putting on his shoes.

"Father's said that your throwing skills are even better than his!" He muttered. "Nii-san, I know I may be a little brat, but just don't see me as nonsense even to you."

Itachi only smiled, signalling his brother to come over. As Sasuke ran up to him, he took out two fingers and poked him playfully in the middle of the forehead; again.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke. We'll do it next time." He left the quiet house…and Sasuke…

****Fragments of Memories****

"Why?" Sasuke sobbed at what he saw. "Why you have…they don't have to…"

Standing emotionlessly in the dark shadows, Itachi said nothing but watched.

"Don't fuck with me!" Not knowing where his courage aroused from, Sasuke, though weak and defenceless, charged at the tall cold murder, the genius, his brother. After a blow on the stomach, he collapsed, vomiting some saliva and the peptic acid.

"Listen, foolish little brother," Sasuke shivered from his brother's icy tone, very much unlike his normal warm and kind one. "If you really want to kill me, hate me, detest me. Put all your hatred and curses on me, and be strong. If you feel like it, seek and kill me. All in this time, you can only live lowly and in the dark. You can live and end your life with that, unless you want to have peace…"Itachi then activated his Mangekyou Sharingan. "…and end your longest nightmares and haunts of your life."

"Argh…!" The shriek echoed throughout the whole Uchiha Clan's enclosed area.

****End of Memory****

"Since that night, didn't you ever desire to surpass me?" Itachi asked him again.

Sasuke remained in silence. It was, indeed, his ambition to "kill a certain man", who "the man" has just been Itachi; therefore he strived to be stronger by all times: graduated from the Academy as soon as possible, finished the missions most swiftly, fought the possible strong opponents he met, took the Chuunin Exam for promotion, fully mastered the _Chidori_, fought with Naruto as he's wished in the Valley of the End, left Konoha and went to Orochimaru for power…all's just for his revenge for the clan.

"Now, before you think of killing me, think carefully of just one this more issue: isn't the fact that you've become much stronger than you have been nine years ago? Aren't you satisfied as you achieved a peak again, regardless what way you've used?"

Sasuke could hear the happiness in his brother's friendly tone. Back in the past, Itachi's the only one who accepted all praises from their father and almost everyone, while he's overshadowed and bore the burden of being a minor comparing to Itachi. His heart leapt at Fugaku's first praise, but never one from his precious elder brother.

"I don't get it…" Sasuke's totally oblivious and confused of Itachi's every plans.

"Do you think that you can be THIS strong if you're under the care of our clan? You'll just being very reliable and cling on others for protection if danger's ever there. You're never strong by perfect circumstances and die easily if not cautious enough." Itachi knelt and ruffled Sasuke's hair, just as how he's done back in the good old days.

"Nii-san…is you really my nii-san?" With all things cleared with wrong concepts, Sasuke only wanted to confirm this man's identity: S-Class criminal or the old brother.

"Yeah, of course; the one and only elder brother you have." Itachi smiled at him. The raven slowly rose up to sit up and hugged the man in front of him like a toddler, sobbing in his broad chest for all the salvations he has gone through in the past years.

"_Oi_, Sasuke, you're too old to be such a cry-baby anymore." He patted his back.

"If you've told me, I wouldn't go to that Freak and suffer from this damn Seal!" The emo teen yelled and resumed his sobbing; tears gushing out from his obsidians.

"OK, I'm sorry. We'll come up a way to deal that. Should we go back to Konoha? I bet all of them are waiting for us." Itachi released himself from Sasuke's tight grips.

"They better accept me than you, ugly." Sasuke teased and ran for his life for it.

"Say it again and I WILL kick your ass, Stupid Chicken-ass! I AM the pretty one!" Itachi's pissed off and chased Sasuke on the back, waving his weapons at his brother.

"Ugly bad-ass old weasel!" "You're a teme!" "Just catch me, old ugly geezer!"

For the next minutes, the Uchiha brothers were chasing each other in the hall, running in circles and shouting pet-names, curses and teasing nicknames. Until then, they lay on the floor, totally breathless and panting heavily like two dogs after a race.

"So, ready?" Itachi asked Sasuke, who's an arm's apart from him on the right. Somehow, there was unwillingness in his holly dark eyes of the deepest sea trenches.

"I'm not sure if Naruto and Sakura would accept me as a friend and teammate," At the last minute Sasuke's revealed his worries, he got poked on the forehead again.

"Hell, of course! What do you think that make them to go all way to be stronger, and chase after you all these past three years nonstop?" Itachi spoke out as he sat up. "Naruto respects you as dearly as a brother to him, 'much of that you were to him', expecting you to go back, even though you'd be seen as embarrassment to Konoha."

"What about you, bro?" Sasuke also sat up and asked Itachi on the face eagerly.

"As long as you're everywhere expecting me to come, I'll be there." He smiled.

"So, it can't be helped," Sasuke stood, dusted his trousers and offered his hand. "Let's go back to Konoha and our good old days, nii-san. Everyone's waiting for us—"

"Do you think we can _walk in_ like some oh-I-am-just-going-though travellers? Don't you ever forget; STILL, I'm an S-Rank wanted criminal and you're a rogue ninja." Itachi let out a laugh and reminded him of a fact. Indeed, there's a real problem in it.

"So, gotcha any plans in your mind?" That's not a question; that's a certain fact.

"Every plan I have will work out perfectly…and at times, getting pretty nasty…"


	2. Aftermaths of the Training

**Aftermaths of the Training**

"_Ha, ha_…" Three people were collapsed on the broad grassland, panting heavily. Their throats were burning like hell and they wished to have at least a bottle of water. Dirt and sweat were all over their torsos. A man in a green vest looked up into the sky. It was clear blue with no cloud, and the Sun's just ever so scorching over their heads.

"Well, I guess that's for Morning's training. Let's have lunch before we dismiss, shall we? It's my treat today!" The man helped each of them to get on their sore feet.

"You said it, Yamato-_taichou_!" The blonde jumped from where he originally lay, jumping up faster than a blink of their trained eyes. "Let's go to Ichiraku if it's lunch!"

"Naruto, can't you change your diet? That's the third day in a week to Ichiraku." A pink-haired kunoichi complained for she's growing horrified against the oily taste. "You should have some other food to absorb minerals and nutrients for your growth. Instead of just eating ramen every day, you should eat some nice and fresh veggies…"

"Okay!" Yamato cut her monologue and turned to the pale-skinned boy in black. "Sai, where do you want to eat? Where you say is the last decision for today's lunch."

"Everything's fine; but I'd like to have seafood-favour ramen for my stomach." Everyone was annoyed from Sai's unique tongue, but still; that made the final result.

"Then it's Ichiraku!" Naruto trot merrily like a child being told that school's over. Utterly happy, he ushered the others out of the training ground and made their way, half-tolled and half-rushed by the very energetic blonde, to the familiar ramen stand.

"Hello there, man!" Naruto greeted the owner, Teuchi with his very loud tone. He grinned as he prepared a new fresh bundle of noodle in the bubbling hot soup. "I'd like to have miso ramen, with pork and an egg!" Yamato sweated for his budgets.

"I'd like to have seafood." Sai placed his orders and sat down on Naruto's right.

"Anything's simple; just miso is fine." Sakura said sulkily and sat at the opposite.

"I'll have the same as Naruto; without egg." Yamato made up his final decision.

"Okay!" Teuchi and his daughter Ayame worked busily for the hungry stomachs, while the team talked about their training, evaluating on the performances just now.

"Naruto, I see that you've improved in controlling your chakra and the Kyuubi's, but you're still way to go in judging the situations before jumping into conclusions." Yamato commented on Naruto's improved performances during the so-early training, which he accepted it without yelling and snarling. "You'd better train on your stealth.

"Sai, you just have to more compromising with them; you're by all, very good." Sai nodded. "You may be of help if you can personally train with Naruto on his stealth; well, if he wishes to it." Yamato laughed uneasily as Naruto gave him his deadly glare.

"Lastly, Sakura," Yamato heaved while Sakura tensed. "So far, you're the best, but that it wasn't really even necessary to change all the landscape with your force; what if the next team used the area and they found it's twisted and out of shape?" Though depressed upon hearing all the words, Sakura also nodded understandingly.

"Sorry for making you wait." Ayame gave the food to the saliva-dripping Naruto, the smiling Sai, then Sakura and Yamato. They took chopsticks and broke them apart.

"_Itadakimasu_…!" Naruto cried out loudly while the others just muttered softly.

The stringy ramen and hot soup went down their throats and gave satisfaction, especially Naruto. Within a minute, he'd finished his bowl and ordered for another. Soon, while the others have only finished their first bowl, eating slowly with curtsey, Naruto had _already_ finished his fifth one, each with a different flavour and additives.

"Thanks for the meal!" The three thanked for it while Yamato's left for the bill, inwardly bawling for his poor wallet for he lost most of his savings for the lunch-treat, and Naruto's the main culprit and the culprit of the whole thing for losing the bunch.

"Alright, we'll have more training tomorrow; same time, same place. Dismiss!" After they've left, Yamato announced the last things and disappeared out of the blue. When they went to a crossing, Sai took another way and Naruto walked Sakura home, a decency that a gentleman is to be in his idea of impressing Sakura for her attention.

"Err, Sakura-chan," Naruto started when they reached the Haruno Household. "I've got a few clothes torn for all those trainings, so…can you mend them for me?" He rubbed the back of his head, grinning sheepishly. Sakura surrendered and agreed.

"As for that, can you get me some kunais and explosive tags? I'm out of stock." Sakura placed her order. There were always trades if someone asked Sakura for help, from treating a meal to going on a shopping, pay for it and carry all the goods for her.

"Roger ma'am! I've got that. Just wait for me." Naruto vanished in the shadows. He returned in the same way as he'd gone minutes ago, this time with a bag at hands. "Here are the clothes. I'll be here to give you the weapons at…say…latest by seven?"

"Okay, I'll probably finish mending this much by that time. Well, see you then!"

"Thanks a bunch lot!" Naruto watched as Sakura disappeared behind the door. He then ripped off his smiling mask and a gloomy face took place; the true face of his. Even though he's spending time with Sakura, but he felt something vital was missing. He had asked Kyuubi on this personally, but he could never get the satisfactory reply.

"Next time, I'll make sure that…hey, what're you doing here, Naruto-nii-chan?" Some brash childish voice struck him. It's a girl and two boys, short and of same age.

"Oh, it's you, Konohamaru, Moegi, and Udon. I see that your training's over too, and you forced Ebisu to treating you all to lunch again?" Naruto grinned at the brats.

"Yup, RIGHT!" Konohamaru grinned. "Why you stare at the door like a statue?" He pointed out and then Naruto realized that he's facing the door when he dazed off. He couldn't remember when he'd arrived and how long had he stood there, staring.

"Oh, I'm…a bit carried off by my thoughts. So, you want something from me?" Naruto asked as he fished his keys and opened the door. When they shook in reply, he bid them goodbye and slipped inside the empty apartment, welcoming him coldly.

"I'm home…" Though no one replied him, he just let it escape from his tongue.

The blonde went straight to his bedroom which's disgustingly messy and dirty. He skipped through the last clean spots on the floor and plopped into his untidy bed. The warm bright sunlight crept into the room and it showered on a framed picture, placed on the bedside cupboard. Naruto's enlightened with that "missing vital piece": the other and last member of primitive original Team 7; his "brother" Uchiha Sasuke.

…Uchiha Sasuke, only mentioning the name would make him and Sakura down, only insulting and calling him names as "trash" would cause them be furiously insane, only _he_ would be a true member of Team Kakashi, which Sai could never be in place. He's a soul's brother, that important, essential and implacable to both of their hearts.

'End of thinking; I've got work to do.' Naruto forced himself back to the reality. He had to clean and tidy up this "living filthy Hell!", as Sakura has described it before.

He first stuffed two big black plastic bags with some oily instant ramen bowls, plastic wrappings and other rubbish. He then pulled his dirty clothes from the mess, and threw them into a bucket for washing. While the washing machine was groaning, he took out an age-old broom and a cloth, filled the bucket with water and detergent, and just before he started to mop the slimy floor with dirty stains, the doorbell rang.

Naruto's shocked and knocked over the bucket, spilling the compliment all over. After he's settled, he went forward but stepped on some oily ramen soup and fell. Luckily he reacted and tried to steady himself by taking a standpoint from the back, but unluckily he stepped on the soapy cloth and slipped over again, and fell soundly. He hit his head badly, and bags of rubbish on the shelf stumbled and fell on his chest. All happened within ten seconds and he's covered in bruises and stinging pain all over. An echoing _ping bang_ could be heard throughout that little apartment, even outside.

"I'm coming…" Naruto dragged himself to the now impatiently-knocking door, nursing his aching back and muscles. He opened a crack and Sakura's standing there.

"You're so early, Sakura-chan. I…" Naruto quickly scanned at the sudden visitor. He realized that she came empty-handed and then he raised a suspicious brow at her.

"Where're my promised-to-be-mend clothes? Do you have any prob with me?" He started to feel tensed and something weird made him cautious of the pink-brute.

"Just leave those aside for now. I suddenly kinda feel like having a talk with you, Naruto; something personal and I feel that only you could be my best listener of all." Her bright emerald-green eyes shot out a bolt of begging and eagerness towards him, making Naruto to tense up. Somehow, he nodded out of all his conscious knowledge.

"The room's a bit…filthy, so…" Naruto grinned and rubbed his head sheepishly. He led her to his half-cleaned bedroom, which she's horrified by the first impression, but retreated to her normal face, trying to stay as calm as possible for not to scream, though she's clutching to her undulating chest, breathing in and out from the tremor.

"Do you need some…help to tidy it up?" Sakura offered, though not so willingly.

"I'm very grateful." Naruto grinned in reply, flipped over to hear her kind words.


	3. Conversation

**Conversation**

"Naruto," Sakura took a sip from her cup of hot tea before she started shakily. "I feel sorta…I don't know how to put it in full sentences, but it's kinda funny in me…"

"What's it; just brief explanation?" Naruto then felt like to care and pity for her.

"I'm feeling…empty here." She pointed at her chest, just the place of the heart. "Some kind of…emptiness here that I tried to fill it up with all methods, but I just…" She then looked at him hopefully. "Do you know what it's, Naruto? I believe you do."

"…I know that." Naruto murmured; his spiky blonde locks dredged over his eyes. Sakura's eyes brightened at the very instant when he said that he knew the method. She waited in her seat stiffly and patiently for his answer, clutching to her cup tightly.

"We have to be stronger; stronger than we're here now and bring Sasuke back." He let two drops of tears flowed out of his eyes. He always knew the fact he's weak, inferior to Sasuke in every aspect, which included winning Sakura's heart for her love. Three years ago, he had promised strongly to Sakura that he would bring Sasuke back, but that never became true; even he's back from his Three-year Training with Jiraiya.

He asked many people for advices and forced them to train him for strengths: Kakashi-sensei and Yamato supervised him on his first _Fuuton_ _jutsu_ all the way down; Asuma-sensei gave him tips on controlling and generating his wind-elemental chakra; he trained with Sakura and Sai many times, but he never felt enough to beat his rival.

"I've promised to bring him back, but I…didn't." Naruto hiccupped and sniffed. "I'm an idiot, a slob, a jerk; '_usuratongachi_', huh?" He chuckled weakly at the name. "I'm a loud-mouthed Genin who shouted, 'I don't go back on my word. It's my nindo,' a shinobi who can't keep his promise—especially to a girl that he'd adored so much."

"Naruto," Sakura called out softly. "Why do you cherish Sasuke-kun that much? I know you do see him as a brother of yours, but there's something more I can see…"

"Even though Sai's now a teammate of Team Kakashi," Naruto explained plainly. "The only teammate that I'll recognise as the third member will and always is Sasuke. Yes, he's a brother to me, but he's as well the very first unbreakable bond I've formed. He recognises me as a strong opponent to him after the fight at the Valley of the End. Yeah, of course, you mean a lot to me and my cheap little everyday-life, Sakura-chan, but the bond's something far more exceeding than any wordings could explain that." He rubbed the tears off his whiskered cheeks. They're then in uncomfortable silence.

_Ding-dong__!_ The sudden doorbell let Sakura jerked, sweating like rapid torrents. Naruto smirked at her reaction and made his way to the entrance, leaving her behind. When he peeped through the small crack, his eyeballs nearly popped out the sockets.

Standing in the doorway under the Sun was nobody other than Haruno Sakura.

* * *

"Hey, Itachi, are you there?" The Sakura back in called out through the wireless, but there's no reply, but only coarse hissings. "Damn it all! Itachi, bro! Please reply!"

"Purr…ouch…sass…eke…!" Finally, the reply's croaky muffled on the other end.

"What'd you say, Itachi? Roger?" Sasuke projected his attention to the earpiece. This time, the reply's loud and clear, nearly bombarding his ear off and his voice rang.

"PULL OUT, SASUKE!!" Itachi yelled at the end at the wireless before it's buzzed.

'What a bad time management…' He cursed in his mind, for the door's cricking. Just at that point, Sasuke sprang from his chair and tried to escape from the room. With no other alternatives, he broke the window with Kusanagi jumped right out of it, leaving the glass slashed deep gashes and blood spurting out from the fresh wounds.

When the door's swung wide, Naruto and the true Sakura ground their teeth. They caught the indignant scene in front of their eyes: the glass's broken into pieces, with some fresh red blood spots stained on some of the broken pieces and the pane.

"If we're faster, we'd have captured him." Naruto slammed his fist on the door. "He's so close to me in that hour, but yet I can't even recognise him out! Damn it all!" He ranted in frustration while Sakura's examining those many stained shards of glass.

"Well, we've some ways to seek him now. After all," She grinned at the blonde, who's now tranquilized. He knew what the roseate's plotting in her brain and smirked. "He's already in the middle of Konoha. With so many specialists," She rubbed her fist.

"Ha ha, Sasuke," Even Naruto couldn't help it but laughing with manic evilness. "That's the greatest mistake you've ever made in your entire life: trying to fool all us."

* * *

"That's a really close feat." Sasuke wiped drops of sweat off from his forehead, slamming his body against a thick tree trunk. If he's waited for another second more, he would be caught. Kami-sama then knows what he and Itachi would have to face…

'OH SHIT!' Sasuke mentally screamed out. 'I've totally forgotten about nii-san!'

"Okay, chill, you're the Number-one Rookie Genius Uchiha Sasuke, right? Yeah! You've got to think of a PERFECT way to find your dearest bro and rescue him, huh?" His thoughts ran wild as he walked in circles. "Think, Sasuke. You can think of one…!"

* * *

"_What did you just SAY?!_" Tsunade exclaimed, so astonished that she sprang up, and her chair's lying on the floor innocently due to the insane force she's performed. Shizune's petrified at the spot with Tsunade's cup of warm tea in her trembling hand.

"I've _said_ Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Sasuke ARE deep inside Konoha _right now_." Naruto repeated himself, slightly frowning at the Hokage's rare astonishment at this. Yet however, he couldn't suppress his sheer happiness and excitement from his voice.

"I spotted Itachi lurking and concealing himself at the window pane of my room, so I've captured him in my house. It's a bit weird, though," Sakura scratched her chin. "I may not say that I knew Itachi very well, but judging from how he would behave, he might cast a strong _Genjutsu_—maybe _Tsukuyomi_—on his captors and torture him; yet this time, he's not but merely struggle for free and tried simple ways of escaping."

"I've known Itachi since we're in the ANBU. This really sounds very unlike him." Kakashi made a point at it on the matter. Yamato nodded in agreement. Naruto was, yet, sulking to himself, his face screwed up with a compound of anger and confusion.

"What's that worrying you, Naruto?" Tsunade asked as she's seen his reactions. Though he always did something that's rather unacceptable from the citizens to her, she still loved and cared for him very much, as if the blonde's a child from her womb.

"Baa-chan, isn't you think that's weird? For me, it's _further beyond_ than that." He unconsciously placed his palm on his stomach, where his navel and the seal were. It was then all cleared to the others with both astonishment and worry on their faces.

"Naruto, I'm sending to you ten ANBUs to your home and guard you from Itachi, even though it may possibly be a prank or whatever…" Tsunade's then cut by Naruto.

"Tsunade-baa-chan, they are the real Uchiha brothers, I can tell. On a side note, they aren't here as captors; they want to assure that they're not forgotten and once, be again a fellow shinobi of Konoha." Naruto said so calmly that they doubted about.

"But…how can you be so sure?" Sakura didn't fully understand what he meant. For the first time after the Three-year Training, Sakura saw Naruto smiled genuinely: from the skin of his lips to the facial muscles, cheeks and his ever-piercing azure eyes.

"What Sasuke did was what _I_ _did_ when I was twelve, so of course I've known it. One can't be tricked by others with the same trick if he's done the thing beforehand. The incident's still very vivid to me: on the day when we've graduated from Academy, I sought out Sasuke and fought him. I won from the…fight and I transformed into him, for that I may get to Sakura-chan. If I hadn't had that carton of expired milk-of-doom, I might also steal your first kiss!" He chuckled playfully, while Sakura's getting pissed. "Back then, in Sasuke's form, I asked Sakura-chan, 'What do you think about Naruto?' to get to know how she's thinking of me back then, just as what he's done just now; he wants to know our thoughts, even of all the things he'd done, ending hurting us."

"If that's the case," Tsunade tapped her chin thoughtfully at it. "Very well then, I'd like Kakashi and Yamato to guard you from day until night; nothing less from that."

"Yeah; I've finally got companions! Thanks a bunch, Baa-chan! You're the best!" He's bouncing up like a three-year-old kid. The two former ANBUs chuckled queasily, sweating heavily on their faces at the protection mission with the hyper-active Genin.

"Yes, they might be," Tsunade laughed at his childishness. "But don't you forget: they're your life's guards. I can't think what Konoha would be if you're gone for good, got it?" She went over the desk and hugged and ruffled the blonde's head lovingly, stunning the others too much. Naruto only grinned, fighting not to drop moved tears.

"Don't sweat about it. I won't let them capture me so easily. On the other hand, shouldn't you be worrying about your mountainous pile of paperwork and debts?" Naruto roared in laughter while he ran for his life as fast as his legs could carry him, before Tsunade fully got and digested what he meant and took away his precious life.


	4. States of Cautiousness

**States of Cautiousness**

"And now, Naruto," Kakashi started in his most business-manner tone ever used. "Listen very carefully. I know you hate to be followed, but I just want you to know—"

"That at this critical time, you have to guard me, tailing me to everywhere I go. I knew that all, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto patted the Jounin's back for tranquilization. "But I'm 100% POSITIVE that it's not the way of what they're thinking about this all…"

"But what if it's REALLY some manic AKATSUKI members to take Kyuubi away?" Yamato couldn't help but remind the naïve blonde, desiring to tear the grin of his off.

"_If_ they're really taking him, they _should have_ done that I'm alone back then." Again, the Jounin were dumbfounded by his point, as well as his growing intelligence.

"Kakashi-sensei," Naruto asked the white-haired Jounin with his sudden favour. "Can you activate your Sharingan while you and Yamato-taichou camouflage around? I'm sure that Sasuke would come again as another one but I don't want to startle him, so I'd keep him in the secret and catch him when he's not aware…or not, we'll do it."

"That's great: with Senpai's Sharingan, he can easily tell who's cast what _jutsu_. He might give us any signals and we'll act out correspondingly according to his plans." Yamato smiled and gave a thumb-up sign to the blonde prankster's rare brilliant idea.

"But…" Kakashi started to protest. "You have not a single idea how tired it'll be! I am not a member of the Uchiha Clan, you know; I got this by organ transplantation. I can't use the eye technique to the fullest extend as the clansmen; by this means I…"

"_PLEASE_, Kakashi-sensei…" Naruto whined and clutched Kakashi's arm, pouting. "You're just the one who can do it! You can rest and read _Icha-Icha_ whenever you like! Just promise that you'll do it, please…! It's ALL meaning your cutest student's safety!"

"Then I'd better wear myself out than resting if I come in a protection mission." Kakashi shuddered as he muttered. He hated to be scared the freak out of, such as it.

* * *

Back in the Haruno household, Sakura enjoyed to torture the uninvited guest. Her parents were shoved to a side, both throwing fiery daggers of hatred at the guest, while whining with fright and worry for their beloved only-daughter all the while ago.

"Godaime-sama's approved me to serve your like at MY wishes, Uchiha Itachi." She grinned in the most dangerous manic way. She pulled out a kunai from her pouch, placed it on blindfolded Itachi's throat and growled like a starving beast over its food. A string of red beads gushed out from the new wound. A single move; and he'd be so.

"SPILL IT ALL OUT, ITACHI!" Sakura stiffened her trilling voice to a shrilling one. "What's your intention to return back to Konoha?! Is Sasuke-kun with you in here?!"

"For the thousandth time, I'm telling you just all the same. I'm _not_ Uchiha Itachi. I'm JUST a crossing-by traveller called Taka from the Land of Bears." Itachi lied to her. If he really told the truth to them all, what he and Sasuke would then have to face? Would it be imprisonment or death penalty? He just wouldn't dare to think about it.

"If you really want to know that, Sakura-san," One of the village's gatekeepers, Izumo stated with a book in his hand. "There's really one called Taka from that place, claiming that he wanted to visit Konoha without specific reasons; maybe he's curious. Maybe this man's not Itachi and he's been speaking the truth as Taka all those times."

"But…Izumo-san! What if he's a disguise or did a _Henge_?! This must be Itachi!" The kunoichi lost her temper and yelled at the Jounin. He didn't show he's shocked, for he's expecting it and waiting for the moment to come, just on the matter of time.

"He did nothing of those; for you see…here," Izumo flipped through the book, found the page and held it to Sakura. "They're the same, so maybe he's really Taka."

"But…!" Sakura started to shout back when a heavily scarred Jounin stepped in.

"Tsunade-sama's seen that you'd soon be out of patience and go on a rampage, so she asked me to come over. If you want to, as Tsunade-sama's ordered me for that, I can help for interrogation. However, be warned, if he's really from the Land of Bears, it may result in that he may harbour a grudge, and a war would then be inevitable." Ibiki said coldly in his monotonous tone to the snarling and teeth-seething kunoichi.

Although he remained calm, Itachi was trembling all over in his own little world, screaming for mercy. Indeed, Sharingan wielders are good in tortures with _Genjutsu_, but Ibiki's a known special Jounin who's famous for his various ways of interrogation. If he really does it, Itachi would spit out all about the plan between him and Sasuke.

"On a second thought, I don't think that we really have to go that far, Ibiki-san." Sakura lowered her bubbling temper. "But still, I want to be sure of his true identity. If he's really an Akatsuki, we'll have to reinforce our protection for Naruto, or else…"

"Don't sweat it. We'll guard him with all we have. You do believe in his strength, huh?" Ibiki smiled at the kunoichi and patted her shoulder. "He's a strong dude, girlie. A damn strong dude who'll fight till his last breaths with any enemies he encounters."

Sakura relaxed herself from stress and collapsed on a chair, drifted into sleep. Caringly, her mother took out a blanket and draped it over her daughter's worn body.

"She's tired, after an entire morning's work and being so worried and stressed." The other gatekeeper, Kotetsu, shook his iron-grey spiky head in disbelief for the girl.

"You can go back to your posts, Kotetsu, Izumo." Ibiki dismissed the two Jounin. They so left them in two puffs of smoke. "Sorry for all the interruption, Haruno-san." He apologized to Sakura's father and bowed quickly. "I'll be taking this man with me."

* * *

"Nii-san, what the heck's happened? Shit, they couldn't…!" All at the same time, Sasuke wandered in the thick forest impatiently, trying to suppress great annoyance.

After a long five minutes, the raven went on a rampage to express his emotions. With a warlike outcry, he crumbled the rock he had been sitting on with his bare fists. He threw and thrust his weapons in his stock on the trunks until he ran out of them, channelled his thunder chakra on Kusanagi and left loads of deep marks in tree barks.

After an hour of working out in the woods, loneliness and boredom came back. Instead of thinking of Itachi, he recalled his conversation with Naruto a moment ago.

****************************************************************

"_Even though Sai's now a teammate of Team Kakashi," Naruto explained plainly. "The only teammate that I'll recognise as the third member will and always is Sasuke. Yes, he's a brother to me, but he's as well the very first unbreakable bond I've formed. He recognises me as a strong opponent to him after the fight at the Valley of the End. Yeah, of course, you mean a lot to me and my cheap little everyday-life, Sakura-chan, but the bond's something far more exceeding than any wordings could explain that."_

****************************************************************

That speech echoed like ripples. Never in Sasuke's life had he felt so ashamed. He hadn't hurt Naruto physically; he'd also betrayed his trust and soul-brotherhood. He hadn't shunned Sakura's begs; he'd also scarred her heart of eagerness and love.

'Maybe I should go convict to them instead of hiding, but that's very unlike me.' Sasuke decided and he picked himself up from the ground, but he changed his mind. 'If I REALLY go in there in my true form, won't then the others get suspicious of me? Maybe I should disguise myself as other people instead of getting stuck in the same.'

He ran through the list. In that list, the one whom is the closest to Naruto's _him_. He felt shamed and forced to look into the name list again. There's must be another…

Then, he got it, transformed and sneaked in like a slithering snake in the bush…

* * *

"Where are you, Sasuke?" Naruto muttered under his breath with a heavy sigh. He went back home with the two appointed Jounin following closely in the shadows. He's satisfied because he's having company for the few days in his lonely apartment; if Kakashi-sensei could stick his eyeballs on him and Yamato-taichou stop being scary.

As he came up to floor of his apartment, someone was standing at the doorway. A man with a scar across his nose: that's the blonde's beloved superior, Umino Iruka.

"Hello, Naruto! I was just looking for you!" The Chuunin grinned at him brightly. Just then, Naruto's stomach growled. "I see you haven't had anything for your dinner, right? How about my treat to Ichiraku ramen? I have vouchers for free meals there!"

"Okay! Let's go!" Naruto cheered. He dumped his bag of clothes on the couch, then ran out and joined Iruka to Ichiraku. However, behind his smile and in his heart, he knew there's something wrong with this man; the true Iruka's still in the Academy, giving extra concentration lessons. That's why he's just cancelled their appointment.

"I know, Kakashi-sensei, Yamato-taichou; I know." Naruto whispered at the two. "He's just being too careless for such a big mistake. Guess we can fool with him a bit, since he can't use his Sharingan and we can take control of the situation from here."

Both of them felt uneasy at the daring assurance, though they said not a thing. All the pranks that Naruto's pulling would be of no good results to their fallen victims.


	5. Revelation

**Revelation**

In the interrogation room, all's pitch dark. Being in such a room for a long time, Itachi had grown familiar with darkness. Yet, a strong spotlight shone straight at him, and his eyes ached for the blinding brightness. He couldn't see well, but from his ears, two people were coming in. After a minute, he had misty images of their silhouettes.

"I know that you're off with something, Taka-or-Itachi; spill out." It's Ibiki again.

"If you're really Taka, we'll, of course, release you and never harass you again." The second voice's much lenient than Ibiki's, but nonetheless, sounding a bit serious. "But if you're really Itachi, we'll positively make you tell us the truth of EVERYTHING."

"I'm Taka from the Land of Bears, not that junky weasel, for the damn-th time!" Itachi shouted. 'What am I talking, hypocrite?!' He mentally scolded himself for that.

"If that's so," Ibiki sounded horrible and scaring. "Please do your work, Inoichi."

Itachi felt a hand on his head. Soon, he lost his consciousness. All of a sudden, he saw fragments of his memories flying past him. Some were "playing" like a video, while some just went for a few seconds, and faded for another to come into his sight.

'It's very dangerous!' He thought and tried to push Inoichi out of his mindscape. All's just been too late as he'd revealed his true identity when he used his Sharingan.

"Just as I've expected it," Inoichi released his _jutsu_. "You're really Uchiha Itachi."

"We should inform Godaime-sama." Ibiki sent a messenger off and came back. "Say it, Itachi, spill everything and don't let a word be missed from your knowledge."

"I'd never intended to do such horrible things as this…" Believing it's time now, Itachi started from the Uchiha Massacre up till now. Ibiki and Inoichi didn't interrupt, but soon they were unbelievingly astonished of what he's saying. From time to time, Itachi would pause for the interrogators to ask it, just to make some senses to them. After half an hour, it finished. Ibiki and Inoichi were just like the listeners of his story, rather than the serious interrogators they should be, though they're still bit shocked.

"I had never wanted to leave Konoha. It's a lovely place, and I love it very much, just as much as you do." He ended with a lump in his throat, resisting crying out loud.

"I see…" Ibiki said in a friendly way. "So, what do you intend to do now, Itachi?"

"I've promised Sasuke to remove his Heaven Cursed Seal, so can you…please?"

"Of course; we'll inform Tsunade-sama." Inoichi went to send another message.

* * *

"I see." Tsunade said after she's gone through the latest message from Inoichi's.

"So what would you do, Shishou?" Sakura asked. She'd been ranting all along it, and the Hokage let her be until she calmed. She then started to worry about Naruto, yet from Kakashi's reports, her worries lessened lot as her teammates were together.

"I guess that we can let it be now, as he's the only one who knows how to do it. Of course, we're keeping him under our nose, in case of suddenly unexpected cases." Tsunade then ordered around to others for preparations. "Sakura, go and get Itachi."

"Yes!" She straightened and responded. A very slight twist of her heels, she left.

"Tsunade-sama…" Shizune mumbled. Her tingly nervousness made her worried, even her master's final decisions. After all, she saw Naruto as her dearly half-brother.

"That's okay. Everything would be all fine." Tsunade eased her worried assistant. It's then Sakura came back and she brought along Itachi in strangling chakra threads.

"Tell me, Itachi," Tsunade sounded like having a casual conversation with him. "How would you help remove the Seal from Sasuke? How it works in the first place?"

"The Heaven Seal's that the caster would 'put' his partial powers to the bearer. Even the caster dies, he may still 'remain'. That part would be released in two cases: the bearer's willing to hand over his body and mind to fully revive the caster himself, or the bearer no longer suppresses it and it comes out totally and form another being; similar to Jinchuurikis." Itachi explained to let them get the image of the Seal's magic.

"In other words, to release the Seal, we'll have to drain out all Sasuke's chakra, so the bit of power would be released, and we'll eliminate it by killing that Freak?" Tsunade got the gist of it and said out aloud. Itachi nodded for the correct way to do.

"But…" Sakura sounded uneasy. "From Naruto's confrontation with Orochimaru, I don't think he can be eliminated with great ease. He's just…just…like an immortal!"

"There's not a thing as immortality in this world, Sakura-san." Itachi reassured. "As I'm the ONLY one who can defeat Orochimaru and had better battle experiences, I have a good way to do it." He sounded so confident and Sakura could only trust him.

* * *

All of a sudden, Naruto felt a presence close to him, which Sasuke didn't notice. With his heightened smelling and hearing abilities, he founded Sakura in a dark alley, whispering "Come over here, Naruto." He sent a _Kage Bunshin_. Soon, there's a reply.

"Iruka-sensei," Naruto asked. "Before we go to Ichiraku, can we go to a place?"

"Of course," Sasuke said. They went through the vast forest of the Fire Country, a route that Naruto remembered clearly. Soon, they arrived at the Valley of the End.

"Naruto…" Sasuke asked and Naruto let out a cry full of anger, fear and sorrow. His eyes became red and his foxy traits being more obvious and exaggerated over at.

"**SASUKE…! WHY…!"** No sooner, Kyuubi's sinister growl mixed with his own one, and went berserk, slashing and sending out an enormous amount of Kyuubi's chakra.

"Wow, that's feeling a lot better!" A soaking wet Naruto went back to the bank. The landscape was very much changed. The forest's almost wiped out and flattened, and the statues were badly damaged—or ruined—with cracks and great craters over.

"Why would you have to do this to…?" Sasuke was dumbfounded by his action.

"I feel relieved from my burdens. This is where I and Sasuke fought seriously, and all begin from 'ere; the fateful spot." Naruto shrugged and heaved a sigh of relief.

"Let's go back now, Iruka-sensei! I'm starving!" Naruto headed into the forest, yet silently he signalled the shadows in the bush. A flash of red; all's becoming dark…


	6. A Great Success

**A Great Success**

Sasuke's regretting because he's afraid the real Iruka may appear from nowhere. Also, he _knew_ that Naruto was a ramen-killer; that's going to be a great pay. However, he's only eaten two bowls of miso up till now. All's going too weirdly smooth for him; eating only two bowls of that _is_ extremely abnormal for Naruto's normal behaviours.

"Naruto, you're 'kay?" With Iruka's comforting voice, Sasuke asked him caringly. "Don't you want to have second? It's my treat, so you don't have to restrain yourself."

"Thanks, Iruka-sensei. I'm very fine with that," Naruto grinned broadly at him. "I'm just thinking whether my strength could rival to his and finally bring him back…"

"You mean…Sasuke?" Sasuke's heart flipped on the new topic. Naruto scowled.

"He's an idiot; a nuisance to us! He's a good-for-nothing arrogant BASTARD!!" Naruto commented as he childishly waved his fists frantically and banged the table. "He had no idea how much he'd hurt Sakura-chan! She loved him so much and dearly; yet at that night he had puffed her eyes, hit her to be unconscious and left her there! He had no idea how much tears were shed for him by Sakura-chan, my Sweet Honey! She's so happy and flipped to have seen him again; yet he left her in agony and grief! She's complaining she's STILL weak to that bastard!" The blonde panted after his rant.

Sasuke was filled with shame again and it's feeling like the heart being stabbed.

"I wonder what his parents think about their shitty asshole in the Underworld." Naruto started teasing Sasuke by hitting his Achilles' ankle; of course, he's fallen for it. In Iruka's form, he charged a fist at the blonde. Naruto noticed and blocked the blow, grinning like he'd played a new prank. Sasuke realized what he'd done and panicked. He wanted to do a _Kawarimi_ to escape, but Naruto laughed as he's grabbing his fist. In a puff of smoke, he disappeared into the air, leaving him behind at the restaurant.

Sasuke's shocked. Suddenly, all the people shimmered and disappeared as well. Everything melted into the engulfing darkness. Tongues of flame danced around him.

'When's this _Genjutsu_ cast on me?!' Sasuke, returned back to his original form, activated his Sharingan, trying to dispel it but was in vain. The flames flickered closer.

'Huh? Is it so strong even my Sharingan couldn't break it?! How can that be…?'Sasuke began to feel fear attacking him, like how when Itachi used _Tsukuyomi_ on him.

'Relax, Sasuke. Stay calm and find a way to break it…find the weakness of it…' Slowly, Sasuke concentrated on the tremendous chakra he's drawn and did the Ram.

It proved to be working out. The darkness vanished and spots of light returned. The scene became vivid and turned from foggy to solid. Back there in the ramen bar, he's the only one left behind now. With the Sharingan, he observed the surroundings. He couldn't feel any presence of anyone but only his. It was another layer of _Genjutsu_, much stronger than the last one. Darkness sipped back and the flames scorched him.

He concentrated and ushered his power to dispel it, which he grew exhausted. He soon gave it up as he realized no matter how many he'd broken, there's another…

'I can't waste my chakra anymore. Guess I have got to break it in a large shot.' Sasuke let all of his last reserve of chakra in a great torrent, concentrated on a point, and then he released all every single drop of it. All the _Genjutsu_ were then dispelled.

Suddenly, Sasuke felt a sharp pain at the nape of the neck on his left shoulder. He touched the place, but the skin stung like needles being stabbed at the very place. He then knew that: the Heaven Seal. In those past years, he had been holding it back; but now, without any restraints and suppressing, it's throbbing and going to activate.

* * *

"Itachi, _stop it now_!" Sakura cried as Sasuke's fooled in the numerous _Genjutsu_. Naruto, bound on the near trunk by Sakura in order to restrain him from killing Itachi, struggled. He wanted to use Kyuubi's chakra to escape, but Jiraiya's seal stopped that. Although much against his will to do so on his brother, Itachi shook his head painfully.

"He _has_ to use up his chakra so there would be none left to suppress the Seal; the way to remove the Heaven Seal." Itachi checked his younger bro's chakra reserve. "Just bit more…the Seal's released!" The tomoes of his Sharingan then came to stop.

"Do it, Itachi!" Naruto's voice became hoarsely after yelling so much. "DO IT!!"

"I'm on it, but I need time for preparing!" The pony-tailed Uchiha shouted back. In a minute, his Mangekyou Sharingan came to be visible to both Naruto and Sakura.

"What…?" Naruto knew the effects of the sinister eyes were if used on human. However, Itachi just ignored his strong protest and flipped over a string of hand seals. A figure started to be vivid in the fog. A giant wielding a shield and gourd stood there. At the opposite of the threesome, Sasuke supported himself on his elbows and knees. The ground beneath them quaked and a gigantic hydra erupted out from the ground, surprising them except Itachi. Both the giant and the hydra stood tall against another.

"What the hell…is _that_?!" Sakura gasped at what she's seeing. Without a word, the giant waved his gourd and the hydra's heads fell from the hanging-in-the-air body, leaving several trails and spurts of blood raining down from the beheaded openings. Itachi watched the whole thing in his spot speechlessly; emotions killed from his face.

"You've finally show yourself, Orochimaru." One of the heads opened its jaws, and Itachi said coldly while the other two's jaws dropped wide, nearly to the ground. A pale-skinned black-long-hair nude man slithered out from the hydra's slimy throat.

"It's been a long time, Itachi…" His husky tone sent shivers down their spines. Slowly, he took out his sword from his mouth. When half of the blade was pulled out, the giant held out the gourd and the poured liquefied material took form of a sword. The sword's pierced through the head and all of it was so being sucked into the gourd. When everything's done, Itachi flipped through more seals and the giant disappeared, leaving a large blinding screen of smoke. Next then, Itachi fainted along with Sasuke. As a medic kunoichi, Sakura ran over the rubbles and checked on the Uchiha brothers. She first checked Itachi, and then with her trembling hands, she checked with Sasuke.

"They don't have much serious problem, just totally exhausted from chakra…" Sakura concluded and her eyes widened to pop. "Naruto," She waved for the blonde. "Look! The…the Heaven Seal…it's…_Naruto, just come over AT THIS INSTANT; pronto!_"

"What do you expect, Sakura-chan? I've been tied to the trunk ever up till now. How can I 'come over' to you like you've said; magic?" The blonde chuckled bitterly. Sakura then realized her work, untied him from the tree trunk and led him to Sasuke.

"What the—"Naruto started to speak, but he lost his vocal and tongue tied up. Even though he didn't know how the freak the Heaven Seal was placed upon Sasuke, but now he and the roseate only knew the most unbelievable truth in the entire life…

"The Heaven Seal has finally gone for good!" They cheered and danced around. After the long awaited three years, their infinite wishes to meteors had become true. Just as then, a flock of small black birds came and formed a message as they landed.

_Please bring the Uchiha __siblings to the Hokage's office after you're done with it._

"We should go now." After the emergency first aid, Sakura instructed to Naruto. He did _Kage Bunshin_ and both of the real and clone carried the unconscious brothers, jumping from branches to branches and returned to the Main Gate of Konohagakure. They ran straight into the Office, where Tsunade's waiting for them most expectedly.

"Well done, Naruto, Sakura." Tsunade smiled at them cheeringly for their work. She then further instructed, "Shizune, would you please get some ANBU to stand by, so when the two fully recover their consciousness, we may spend our time on them."

"Yes!" The loyal assistant responded and left them there to accomplish her job.

* * *

'Huh? It's so dark here…' Sasuke blinked and scanned around the space. Slowly, his eyes adapted to the dark surroundings and the outline of a figure became visible. He could hear the figure wade through the shallow water, coming closer towards him. Sasuke had no means to be hostile at the comer; the person had no aura of hostility.

His ears caught another one walking behind the first, and then lines appeared. Judging from the moving lines, it seemed like a boy and a girl; both sixteen, like him. Was that he's adapted to the darkness and his eyes saw it, or there's a streak of light, that he's able to see them in full colours instead of just moving lines in the darkness.

Just as he guessed, it was a boy and a girl. The boy strapped a black bandana round his forehead under blonde spiky hair with a piece of metal crafted with a swirl, a black-shoulders-to-sleeves-and-zipped orange jacket and a pair of orange trousers. The girl had the most unusual beautiful inborn-pink hair that she cut to her shoulders, with a matching red bandana of same design round her skull. The red sleeveless shirt, the pink miniskirt and the black tight pants outcast her perfect womanly silhouette. Through their respective azure and emerald-green irises, Sasuke sought their minds.

They stuck out their rough hands to him speechlessly, waiting for him to come. Sasuke reached out. When he touched their palms, he found himself in a white room.


	7. A New Beginning

**A New Beginning**

"He's AWAKE, Sakura-chan!" His ears were blasted off by a deafening screaming. Soon, some hasty running steps came towards him. Every muscle screamed in protest, but a soft warm palm touched his sensitive skin, easing the heaviest pain on his body.

"He's alright now," A husky female voice rang, sounding to be sleepless for days. Just when Sasuke felt sorry for her, a hard fist landed on his jaw and felt like breaking. All sympathy for her disappeared in the air, but he's still in too much pain to be angry.

"He's just woken! Don't you—" The first jumpy tone became worry and protest. Something hard gave out a horrible crack and a heavy lump's bumped onto the floor. Probably that's a serious bone fracture. From that voice, incoherent words came out.

"HE DESERVED IT, Naruto!" That insane bitch, Sakura screeched like a banshee. Sasuke's eardrums hurt even further more. He didn't voice a sound, but he's boggled.

"This punch's for hitting me _that_ night!" She waved a second blow on his chest.

"This is for injuring Naruto!" She hit his stomach and yanked him from the bed.

"And _this_ is for putting us in agony and worry for you for the past three years!!" It hit his left cheek. He flew for about a meter before hitting the cold ground and slid. His blurred vision became clearer and saw the entire room and people in full colours.

This was definitely the Hospital. Those two people in his dream were also here. The roseate stood near a bed like she'd just hit something at full force and facing him. The blonde's squatting on the floor with a swollen cheek and watching them in muse.

"Sakura…" Sasuke spoke for the first time, taken slight aback by his croaky voice. Despite his cries for mercy, she continued to beat him until he's covered with bruises.

"You…" She's fighting back her tears, but she couldn't resist it and they rained. She flung her arms around Sasuke's neck and hugged him tightly, soaking his clothes. Naruto walked wobbly up to them. When their orbs met, Sasuke saw that he's crying. Got untangled from Sakura, the boys hugged and Naruto sobbed it out aloud for real.

"I'm home…Naruto, Sakura." The trio laughed and fell into their embrace again, eyes flooded with gallons of happiness and relief after three years of worry. Just then, Tsunade, with Jiraiya, Kakashi and Yamato on her heels, were smiling at the reunion…

* * *

After they've recovered and were dismissed from hospital by nurses in a week, Tsunade summoned the Uchiha brothers. There, Itachi spit out the truth to everyone:

There's one madman among those Uchihas called Shisui unknown to all people, who always has intended to kill all clansmen for locking him up in his cell-like house. Yet, he'd befriended with Itachi, who often visited him and saw him as blood-brother. However, his illness worsened to a point that he's lost control. On that fateful night, he changed into Itachi and acted out the massacre to fool Sasuke for self-destruction. Itachi saw it all and carried the blame, killed Shisui and got his Mangekyou Sharingan. He only joined Akatsuki to watch over Konoha, and Sasuke to guarantee their safety.

Although normally there would be a death sentence for ones who left Konoha, Tsunade dismissed it because it's not Itachi's fault that he didn't have blames to carry. If she did, then Sasuke would be the one left in agony for the loss of his dear brother. Yet, she announced a one-year in jail for him, which he accepted with no complaints. Sasuke gave a sour frown of unwillingness to that, but he's in no place to oppose her.

As for Sasuke, he's to be returned to a Genin status. When this was announced, Naruto's flipped as he was no longer the _only_ one in their age-group to be a Genin, and that he earned a half-hearted smack on the head from Sasuke, who only smirked. He took over his space in Team Kakashi from Sai and trained with Naruto and Sakura, even Yamato and Sai were resting in the shades away from the scorching midday Sun. Their teamwork grew tremendously that they worked with great tacit understanding.

When it's time for the Chuunin Exam, Yamato nominated Naruto and Sasuke, along Konohamaru, who agreed as firstly, he wished to try out the exam and secondly, he's just a provisional third member to compose the three-man cell to take the Exam. They passed the first "Information Gathering" Exam that Naruto and Sasuke laughed. However, Konohamaru failed the Second Exam and was kicked out by the invigilators, as examinees had a team to lead and had to survive in the Forest of Death for a week. By former experiences at hand, Naruto and Sasuke passed without breaking a sweat. In the end, those remained have to fight till the opponent's out; same as ever before. With his extraordinary stamina and amazing capacity of chakra so he won't exhaust, Naruto won in the last stage from Sasuke, though he performed better fighting skills. They're so promoted as Chuunin. Since then, the original four-man cell Team Seven, with Sai and Yamato as additional members, was back for missions as in the old days.

For unique information-gathering by use of _Kage Bunshin_ and his chakra supply, Naruto's soon promoted to be a Jounin shortly a year after, ahead of his best friends. They didn't complain, but they declared in a Naruto-way that they would be ANBUs; given the condition if he's slacking and out of shape and left him behind in the place. Naruto laughed since he could still be the Hokage and he didn't have to fight over it. He asked both Sasuke and Neji, who've been sulking for Naruto's speedy promotions, to train with him on everything he's lacked of that a proper Jounin should possess of.

Working under Ibiki, Sasuke was so excelled in interrogation with his Sharingan. Many, including Itachi, have supported the fact Sasuke could be a great skilful Jounin. One night, after Ibiki was hauled by Anko into the bars and forced to drink till drunk, the Special Jounin signed a paper without looking thoroughly into the content of it. When he's awake, he cursed for being cheated. It's a paper for Sasuke to be a Jounin. While Ibiki was pouting for losing such a good interrogator, Tsunade, the mastermind, promised that she might send Sasuke back to the Interrogation Squad someday. Yet, he now had to deal missions as a Jounin. Lately, he's in a new challenge with Naruto: to finish a hundred missions of different ranks and get a promotion as ANBU Captain.

As for Sakura, she seemed prefer working in the Hospital along with her master, Tsunade. She wasn't so enthusiastically eager to be a Jounin as her teammates were, as she might have to look after a team of Genins if anointed. Under their sincere beg, she surrendered and accepted the promotion, only she wouldn't take a Genin team. Later, the males told her they believed the missions would be more lively and kicking, only if their brutal soul-sister's around with them. Sakura sulked at their childishness.

The three new-babies Jounin were overwhelmed by missions, especially Naruto. He demanded one after another, the other way round of Konoha's current situation, which it's Tsunade to sent them off right away after they'd just reported in the done. At first, they thought it's because of his hyper-activeness, but it soon grew worrying: the blonde hasn't rested, even during those missions, for almost half a year nonstop.

In one coincidence, Yamato found Naruto at the Weapon Store, and he acted. He dragged him to a spare interrogation room. Then it's time to see Ibiki's teachings. Under Sasuke's _Genjutsu_, Naruto spoke of the horrible dread he had with Akatsuki, and if he's kept in frequent action, he wouldn't be so easily pinpointed down by them, as well as protecting Konoha from unnecessary warfare. After his release from jailing, Itachi coughed out information of the secretive organization he's gained in the past. Allied with the other Villages, all shinobis went straight for the secretive hiding place.

After two weeks of intense fighting, they've finally overturned the organization, ending Naruto's nightmares as the uncollected Jinchuuriki. As a mediator with Kyuubi, both the Bijuu and the man compromised they wouldn't do any harm to each other. Believing they'd be stronger if sealed within human body with human's intelligence, the Bijuu were sealed within orphans, though Shukaku preferred to be in Gaara again, but the Kazekage could sleep without worrying his mind to be possessed by the beast. After days of negotiations among the leaders, the orphans would be living in Konoha, since there's a professor to teach those youngsters to control their enormous chakra. They had thought of leaving some under Gaara's care to diverse the burden. However, the Kazekage pointed out comparing to Konoha, they're short in necessary resources.

Considering Naruto's becoming a qualified shinobi, who would not be deterred, never give up and be considerate to the others, the right candidate for a good leader, the entire village cheered Naruto would succeed Tsunade as the Rokudaime Hokage. Tsunade privately promised the grinning boy that it'd be shortly within a year's time. She now had to merge herself into the Hospital's most important affairs little by little, so she might give the place to Naruto, who's now an ANBU Captain ahead of Sasuke, the personal guard of Tsunade and trainee of the Special Hokage Leadership training. Never could any of the Leaf's shinobis get promotions with such fast and wide paces, and Uzumaki Naruto's definitely an unforgettable legend after the Yondaime Hokage.

Finally, the dead-last Knucklehead Ninja has fulfilled his dreams of his lifetime. With those, he held his head high with pride under the bright Sun and gentle breeze.

* * *

**My life's being drained from me when I was rewriting it, and I revived when it finally ended.**

**Saying I was rewriting is because I'm a perfectionist in creating my Naruto fanfics, which I couldn't stand imperfect lines (I insist to have all sorts of punctuation at the end of the line in Microsoft Word at font Calibri-12 -- minus hyphens and dashes). Since the first draft was not good enough, so I rewrite it from the start and polish everything up with my best efforts. My family thought I'm crazy.**

**I feel like a hero after writing it! Happy endings with no more Akatsuki and all the Bijuu are good friends! Yeah!**

**Hope you all love this arrangement and pray for me to finish the sequel to the storyline ASAP! Your support will be my best effort!**

**Drops of Chastity**


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